We got the welcome news last week of a third safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19. Then President Biden announced that the federal government expects to have enough supply for every U.S. adult to receive a first dose by the end of May.

One year ago, one of your hospitals admitted the state’s first COVID-19 inpatients. We’re now at about the 35,000th. Back then who could have imagined the challenges our field would face, the devastation and cruelty of this illness, or the pivotal role you would play far beyond patient care?

This month we celebrate the significant contributions of Black Americans to our nation’s past, present, and future. As we reflect on this, we must also face how racial health disparities impact our communities. We see worse outcomes and higher instances of chronic disease in communities of color, from maternal and child health to diabetes and everything in between.

Four in 10 U.S. adults report anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms during COVID-19—roughly four times as many as pre-pandemic.